Depression is a common mental disorder associated with the hectic and changing lifestyle of today’s times. It goes beyond just feeling sad. It is a disposition disorder in which there are long time periods of sadness and a loss of interest in day to day activities. It is like carrying a heavy burden on a regular basis which typically results in a lack of interest in varied activities. Millions of citizens suffer from this condition in some form year on year making it one of the most common forms of mental disorders in the country. Common causes of depression While there is no one specific cause for the onset of depression, the below mentioned are the most likely triggers. Family history Self-history of anxiety, post-traumatic or stress disorder High stress, abuse, financial issues, the death of a loved one Hormonal changes Use of medicines like sleeping aids, blood pressure medication Types of depression Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) is a condition which ends up lasting for a minimum of 2 years. An individual diagnosed with this disorder could experience episodes of major depression plus time periods of less severe symptoms. Postpartum depression happens during pregnancy where women experience major, full-blown depression during or post-delivery.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that adversely affects the daily lifestyle of a person in ways of making the person find it tough to pay attention, making a person very fidgety in times when they are not supposed to move or constantly interrupting someone when it is not needed. ADHD makes it tough for an individual to control impulsive behaviors or to pay attention. The individual may also be constantly active as well as restless. ADHD is not a disorder of someone’s childhood, even though the symptoms related to the disorder may start from a person’s childhood itself. The disorder continues to grow from adolescence as well as adulthood. As the child reaches the teens the hyperactivity in them is seen to improve, but issues like the disorganization, poor control over impulsive behaviors, and their poor ability to pay attention mostly continue all through their teenage years right into the adulthood. Presently, the studies conducted state that ADHD may be an outcome of the interaction of the genes and the factors that are not genetic as well as the toxins present in the environment, like high levels of lead that a person may be exposed to from a very small age.

Most people believe that eating disorders are due to a person’s lifestyle choice which determines what they eat and how much they decide to eat. But in reality, it has nothing to do with that but is a result of their faulty eating behaviors caused by a combination of factors. Individuals across all age groups, but in particular adolescents and young adults are prone to eating disorders due to multi-faceted reasons. An unhealthy idea of their own body coupled with low self-esteem and inadequate support can lead to harmful eating habits such as binge-eating or compulsive monitoring of calories consumed. Such behavior over time turns into obsessions which further feed into the disorder. If an eating disorder is left untreated, it can be fatal for the person as it can lead to starvation, heart attack, and severe dehydration among other problems. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder all can have varied causes and manifest in different ways but can be deadly if not caught in time. Anorexia nervosa: People with this medical condition usually identify themselves as overweight, while in reality, they are severely underweight to the point of being anorexic. They feel the need to weigh themselves all the time, restrict their food intake and consume very small quantities of only certain foods.

A term heard quite often, schizophrenia is a mental disorder. It causes disruption in the thought processes, social interaction, emotional response, and perception. The severity of the disease varies among individuals. It is a highly disabling and persistent condition. The symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, thought disorder, reduced motivation to achieve goals, cognitive impairment, motor impairment, difficulty in maintaining social relationships, reduced expression of emotion, and psychotic symptoms. It can start in adolescence or early adulthood. It is sometimes regarded as a developmental perspective. Unusual behaviors and cognitive impairment can be seen during adolescence, and the presence of many symptoms later becomes a disorder. Schizophrenia is usually diagnosed during a person’s teenage years to early thirties. It tends to emerge in males in the early twenties and in females in their 20s to 30s. Subtle changes occur in social relationships and cognitive behavior. It is difficult to detect the presence of schizophrenia as it may overlap with symptoms of other disorders. There is presence of psychosis and schizophrenia-related disorders from 25% to 64%. This disease is associated with significant health, social, and economic concerns. It is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The individuals face the risk of premature mortality, with the average age being 28.5 years.

Hypoglycemia is reduced blood sugar levels in one’s body. The symptoms are fatigue, seizures, loss of brain coordination, palpitation, hunger, numbness and so on. Hypoglycemia can also be fatal at times. Some causes of the condition are diabetes, kidney dysfunction, tumor, hypothyroidism, weakened metabolism, and infections. Hypoglycemia and mental health are directly related, but note that low blood sugar is not one of the symptoms of diabetes. It is a result of the consumption of a lot of insulin in food, and the drugs that increase insulin are also a cause of hypoglycemia. The mental symptoms of the condition are much worse, and people are unaware of the symptoms in the initial stages itself, which makes it a major reason for worry. Signs and symptoms Mood swings, nervousness, shaking, trouble in thinking clearly, increased heart rate, and excess sweating are some other effects of hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar is a warning sign for people to know that they should consult a doctor. Signs like stress, anxiety disorder, a rapid heart rate, sweating, and numbness should alarm one to seek medical help as soon as possible. Invariably, all hypoglycemic attacks are characterized by one or more mental issues like a panic attack or stress, and they may even cause heart failure in severe cases.